Sharpening machine



SHARPENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 14, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet. 1-

- fl- INVENTOR.

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A TTOPNE Y June 18, 1946. A. A. GRADISAR SHARPENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 14, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALB/N A 62/70/5192 BY 67p ATTO E'Y June 18, 1946. 5A I 2,402,155

SHARPENING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 14, 1942 INVENTOR. /45//YA A D/5A2 A TORNEY June 1%, 1946.

A. A. GRADISAR SHARPENING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Shet 4 Filed Aug. 14, 1942 INVENT OR.

14L 5 //VA- GRAD/5'4 ATTORNEY Patented June 18, 1946 SHARPENING MACHINE Albin A. Gradisar, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to American Optical Company, Southbridge, Mass, a voluntary association Application August 14, 1942, Serial No. 454,867

16 Claims. 1

This invention relates to honing or stropping machines and has particular reference to a new and improved apparatus for honing and stropping blades for microtones and the like.

stropping thereof.

during the honing operation.

stropping thereof.

drawings.

the accompanying claims.

by way of illustration only.

the invention, partly in section.

honing stone removed.

the arrows.

2 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the blade oscillating arrangement.

Fig. 9 is a view partially in section of the blade supporting and oscillating arrangement, taken on These supports are adapted An object of the invention is to provide an aD- 5 line 98 of Fig. 2. paratus for automatically honing and stropping Fig. 10 is a view taken on line Ill-l0 of Fig. 8 blades for microtones or the like. looking in the direction of the arrows.

Another object of the invention is to provide Fig. 11 is an end view on an enlarged scale an apparatus for the type set forth having means showing the arrangement for control of the blade .for oscillating the blade during the honing or 10 support.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on line l2--|2 Another object of the invention is to provide of Fig. 11 looking in the direction of the arrows an apparatus of the type set forth with means and for automatically lubricating the honing plate Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on line l3-I3 15 of Fig. 11 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Another object of the invention is to provide The apparatus shown embodying the invention an apparatus of the type set forth with means comprises an hydraulic source I and frame 2. for automatically shortening the stroke during The frame 2 is adapted to be supported on a table the honing or strapping operation. or the like 3 and the hydraulic source is adapted Another object of the invention is to provide 0 to be placed thereunder.

a new and improved apparatus for controlling the The hydraulic source I is provided with the movement of the blade during the honing or motor l'adapted to drive the pump 10 to provide power to the hydraulic system.

, Another object of the invention is to provide a The frame 2 is provided with the marginal new and improved means for controlling the 5 tracks 5 and 6 adjacent the opposite longitudinal movement of the honing plate or strop. edges thereof and in said tracks 5 and B are posi- Other objects and advantages of the invention tioned the rollers 1 adapted to support a carriage will be apparent from the following description 8. The carriage 8 is adapted to be moved longitaken in connection with the accompanying tudinally by means of the hydraulic cylinder 9 It will be understood that many containing a piston adapted to cause movement changes may be made in 'the details of construcof said carriage 8 on said tracks 5 and 6. tion and arrangement of parts without departing The carriage 8 is provided with means adjacent from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the end thereof for supporting the honing plate I therefore do not support Ii]. The means on said carriage 8 for wish to be limited to the exact details of consupporting the honing blade support I0 consist struction and arrangement of parts shown and of screws ll having elevating knobs l2 and havdescribed as the preferred form has been shown ing a member I3 adapted to support the pivot balance M on either end of said member Ill.

Referring to the drawings: The member In is adapted to receive on its Fig. l is a side view of an apparatus embodying 40 upper face a strop or honing member, such as a glass plate or a rubber strapv depending on the Fig. 2 is a top or plan view thereof, with the use to which the machine is to be put.

When the glass plate or the like is used the Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the tripchannels l6 adjacent the opposite ends of said ping mechanism for actuating the controls. support 10 are'filled with water for use in lubri- Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of eating the surface as hereinafter described.

Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows. On the frame and adjacent the center thereof Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the supporting 15 Supported the blade IT t be honed or strop mechanism for the honing plate. by means of the supports l8 and I9 on opposite Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic illustration showing 5 sides of the frame. the positions assumed by the blade. to support the rods 20, 2| and 22 and on the Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken rods 20 and 22 are supported the bearing memon line '|--'I of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of hers 23 and 24. These bearing members 23 and 24 are adapted-to act as bearing members for the Fig. 8 is a view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 9 rod 2| which supports the blade and pivots or revolves the same to proper angular relation with the plate l5. Also adjacent one end of said rods 20 and 22 i supported the arrangement for oscillating the blade during the stropping or honing thereof. This arrangement consists of an electric motor 25 having the excentric disc 26 secured to the shaft thereof and adapted to engage the collar 2? on the shaft 2|. Between the collar 2! and the support 8 is positioned the coil spring or the like 28 adapted to retain said collar in engagement with the excentric disc 26. It will be seen that on rotation of the excentric disc 26 that because of said excentric disc and the spring 28 the oscillating motion will be given to the blade As the rod 2| is secured to only one side of the blade the opposite side is provided with the rod 29 adapted to engage the opposite side of said blade and support the same during the honing or stropping thereof.

From Figs. 9 and 12 it will be seen that the rod 29 telescopes in the tubular shaft 39 and is adapted to be supported in telescopic relation in the support 24 and said support 24 may be adjusted along rods 29 and 22 and held in place by means of the set screw 3| in the supporting member 24.

On the shaft 29 is provided the driving collar 32 and also the driven collar 33 with the pins 34 from the driving collar 32 extending through openings in the driven collar 33 and having the coil springs 35 positioned thereon between the driven and driving collars. It will thus be seen that because of the springs 35 and oscillating apparatus describedabove, that it is possible to oscillate the blade I 1 during the honing or stropping thereof.

The screw or the like 36 allows the driven collar 33 to be adjusted on the shaft 29 in order that the machine may accommodate blades of varying lengths.

.g 2 plate l5 be adjustable vertically with respect to the pivot axis of the knife to allow the placing of the blade at such predetermined angle with the plate. If desired a protractor scale could be placed on either the blade holder or the frame and a cooperative pointer placed on the other of said members to indicate the angle of position at which the blade is set with respect to the plate I5. This protractor while not absolutely essential is of considerable convenience.

It is further pointed out that in Figs. 1 and 4 a pressure regulator is shown which may be adjusted by adjusting the screw 38 of said pressure regulator to vary the balance of pressure in the hydraulic system as desired.

It is also pointed out that because the blade for which the present device is intended to be I used in sharpening is for cutting microscopically To remove or insert a blade, the rod 2| is retracted by means of the knob 16 and the blade removed and when a blade is inserted the rod 2| is returned to its normal position by the action of the spring 28.

It is pointed out that the blades have openings in the opposite ends thereof which are adapted to receive a pin on the end of the rod 2| and a driving connection or clutch on the end of rod 29. The set screw F1 allows adjustment of rod 2| and its component support 23 to be adjusted so as to position the various length of blades on the center of plate |5. The corresponding rod 29 and its support 24 may be adjusted likewise.

It is pointed out that this centering of the blade I! on the plate l5 gives the advantage that the pressure of said honing plate l5 along the edge of the blade is equalized along the full length of the blade because of the pivotal supports M for the carriage III.

In order that the blade I i be pivoted or rotated to desired relation with the plate I5, I provide the automatic blade pivoting mechanism 31.

It is pointed out that the angle between the blade and the plate |5 can be adjusted by adjustment of the knob I2 on the screw while retaining the position of the blade This adjustment is necessary because of the variation in blade width and the necessity of having the included angle of the cut tip of the blade at a certain predetermined figure; and because of the necessity that the angle be of such predetermined amount and variation it is necessary that the thin specimens that the said blades must be more accurately sharpened. For this purpose the apparatus is so constructed that the sharpening plate may be given continued strokes the full length of the apparatus or if desired may be set so as to progressively shorten the strokes of the sharpening plate. For this purpose the trip stops 39 and 49 are provided. The trip stop 40 is fixed and the trip stop 39 travels along the rods 4| and 42. It is pointed out that the trip stop 39 is actually a tripping finger and has the projecting portions 43 and 44 adapted to frictionally engage the upper edges of the rods 4| and 42 respectively, said fingers 43 and 44 act somewhat in the nature of ratchets so that a slight axial movement of the rod 4| causes the moveable trip stop 39 to move along the rod 42. The amount of such movement is controlled by adjustment of the adjusting screw I3 which adjusting screw is adapted to engage the end of the rod 4! to adjust the limit of strokes thereof as described above and in order to progressively shorten the cycle of strokes of said sharpening blade I5. The length of strokes of the machine is determined by the distance between the two trip stops 39 and 49 which distance progressively decreases a given amount each cycle as the rod 4| engages the adjusting screw 73 at the end of each cycle. Stop 39 climbs along the rod 42 toward the stop 49 on each stroke of said rod. The ratchet like fingers 43 and 44 raise oil? of the rods 4! and 42 by a cross pin that is operated by knob 45 thus by bearing on the knob 45 the movable tripping stop 39 can be released and returned to starting position.

The tripping steps 39 and 48 operating on the pins 47 and 43 actuate the four way valve 49 by means of two corresponding pins 49 and 59. The hydraulic fluid that is delivered by the pump and passes through the starting valve 5| is metered by the four-way valve 46 into either of the two sides of the flipping mechanism hereinafter described. On the forward stroke of the carriage the tripping stop 39 engages the pin 41 which in turn causes the pin 59 to reverse the four-way valve 45 causing the carriage to return. On the return stroke of the carriage the trip stop 49 engages the pin 48 which action causes the pin 49 to return the four-way valve to the starting position.

For certain applications and adaptations of the apparatus it may be desired to place in the volume regulator 52 and the pressure indicator 53 but these are not essential to the operation of the apparatus. These are of the type usually employed in hydraulic systems.

The automatic blade pivoting mechanism 31 a has the two'ports 54 and 55 which function alternately as intake and exhaust for the supply of hydraulic fluid to the blade pivoting mechanism.

The hydraulic system shown i a low pressure hydraulic system employing standard four-way valve.

In the flipping mechanism i a disc valve 56 operated, by the flipping mechanism in which valve are the ports 65, I4 and which act alternately in conjunction with adjacent openings that lead to ports 51 and. 58 which ports 51 and 59 act both as intake and exhaust for the main cylinder 9-alternately. Referring to the Fig. 11, fluid enterin the port 55 drives the vane 59 in a counterclockwise direction exhausting the fluid on the opposite side of the vane through the port 54. As the vane 59'closes oil the port 54 towards the end of its stroke a cushion action occurs and a flow of a more slower nature occurs through the meter valve 60. In this position of the vane the disc valve permits fluid to flow from port 55 through the inside chamber of the vane and through the port 51, thus actuating the cylinder. During the the carriage the flow of fluid is reversed so that the port 54 acts as a supply line and the port 55 as the exhaust line. As the reversed fluid enters the port 54 it is prohibited from returning through the cylinder through the port 58 by means of the check valve 65. If this check valve 55 were not employed the carriage would reverse its direction before the flipping mechanism will have reversed its flipping position. This check valve 65 forces the main volume of fluid to return into the chamber 63 by way of the bleeder valve 60 and line 64. The rotational velocity of the vane is brought to its normal height as soon as the vane clears the port 54 on the beginning of its return stroke. As the vane 59 reachesthe end of its stroke, opposite that shown in Fig/11, one opening 14 in the disc valve 56 aligns with the passage to the port 58, while at the same time the reversing valve changes port 54 from a supply line to the exhaust line. Due to this change the end of the cylinder 9 in communication with the port 58 is connected to exhaust and thus pre-- pared for the return stroke, although the return stroke is started slowly due to the above men-- tionedmetering action of valve 69 (on the right side of Fig. 11). The vane 59 meantime covers the ports 51 and 55, and up until the time of reversal of valve 45 the cylinder 9 can exhaust by way of port 51 and through check valve 65 to port 55 and so back to the sump. But as soon as reversal takes place, the check valve stops communication between port 55 and port 51 and pressure fluid is fed to the cylinder 9 only through the metering valve 60.

It is pointed out that with the blade pivoted mechanically as described above, that the actual rotation of the blade and disc valve occur rapidly but that when the greater part of this pivot has taken place the pivoting of the blade then becomes slower when the blade has reached the extent of its pivoting position. Thus the blade 6 slows down before it strikes the hone so. as not to damage the delicate blade.

The secondary action of this flipping mechanism is to vary the pressure on the tip to any desired amount. This is accomplished by the bleeder valve 6| controlled by the said screw 62 which may be adjusted to vary said blade pressure at will. From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided simple, efficient and economical means for obtaining all of the objects and advantages of the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus for sharpening a blade comprising a reciprocable sharpening member, a cylinder and piston for reciprocating said member, fluid actuated means for supporting and flipping a blade in operative relation to said sharpening member on each successive stroke thereof, and a reversing valve operable on successive movements of the sharpening member for reversing the supply of actuating fluid both to said cylinder and to said blade flipping means,

2. Apparatus for sharpening a blade comprising a reciprocable sharpening member, fluid actuated reversible means for reciprocating said member, means independent of the first means for supporting a blade to be sharpened and alternately presenting the opposite sides of the blade to the sharpening member on each successive stroke of said member including a reversible fluid operated motor, and a reversing valve for reversing the supply of actuating fluid both to said reciprocating means and to said reversible motor.

3. Apparatus for sharpening a blade as set forth in claim 2 in which a metering valve in the supply of actuating fluid to the reciprocating means delays movement of the sharpening member until reversal of the blade has been initiated.

4. Apparatus for sharpening a blade comprising a sharpening member having a plane surface for engaging the work, a longitudinally reciprocable support carrying said sharpening member with the direction of reciprocation parallel to said plane surface, fluid actuated means for reciprocating said support and fluid actuated means for supporting and flipping a blade in operative relation to said surface of the sharpening member on each successive stroke thereof, and a hydraulic system for supplying actuating fluid to both said fluid actuated means and to actuate the second mentioned means to press the respective sides of the blade against the surface of the sharpening member during reciprocation of the latter.

5. Apparatus for sharpening a blade comprising a flat sharpening member, means for reciprocating said member with a direction parallel to its sharpening surface, means pivotally supporting a blade adjacent said surface, a fluid pressure actuated servo-motor operatively connected to the blade support for alternately presenting opposite sides of the blade to said surface, and adjustable valve means associated with said motor to vary the torque force exerted by the fluid pressure motor for controlling the blade pressure on said sharpening surface,

.6. Ina device of the character described, a sharpening member, means for reciprocating said member for sharpening a blade, means for retaining a blade in operative position relative to said sharpening member, said sharpening member having a central sharpening portion and reservoir portions adjacent the opposite ends of said sharpening member, said reservoir portions being reservoir portions adjacent the opposite ends thereof for supplying a lubricating solution to the surface of said sharpening member, said reservoir portions being connected to said sharp.- ening'surface by inclined runways for facilitating s the flow of the lubricating solution for said reservoir portions to and across said sharpening surface upon reciprocation thereof.

v8. In a device of the character described, a support, a longitudinally moveable sharpening member on said support, a blade holder for supporting a blade in operative position relative to said sharpening member, means for rotatably presenting the opposite sides of the edge of said blade to the surface of said sharpening member alternately, said blade presenting means comprising a fluid system and a control member for said fluid system, said control member having means for slowing up the speed of movement of said blade as the blade approaches the sharpening member and means for changing the direction of rotation of said blade.

9. In a device of the character described, a support, a sharpening member longitudinally movable on said support, means for longitudinally moving said sharpening member relative to said support, means for supporting a blade in operative position relative to said sharpening member and means actuated b the longitudinal movement of said sharpening member to alternately present the opposite sides of the edge of the blade to said sharpening member and means actuated by movement of said sharpening member for successively shortening the length of each successive longitudinal stroke of said sharpening member during the sharpening of th blade.

10. In a device of the character described, a longitudinally movable sharpening member, means for supporting a blade in position relative to said sharpening member and adapted to present the opposite sides of the edge of the blade alternately to said sharpening member, means for moving said sharpening member relative to said blade support, said means for supporting the blade being actuated b movement of the sharpening member to alternately present the opposite sides of the blade to said sharpening member on each successive stroke thereof, and a motor and cam means for reciprocating the blade during the sharpening thereof.

11. In a device of the-character described, a longitudinally movable sharpening member, means for supporting a blade in operative position relative to said sharpening member and means for presenting the opposite sides of the edge of the blade alternately to said sharpening member, means for moving said sharpening member relative to said blade, said means for presenting the ened byengagement with said sharpening memher, means for causing successiv strokes in opposite directions of said sharpening member relative to said blade and means operated by said successive strokes of said sharpening member for effecting successively shorter strokes of said sharpening member during the sharpening of the blade.

13. In a device of the character described, a longitudinally movable" sharpening member for sharpening a blade, means for supporting a blade to be sharpened in operative position relative to said sharpening member, said central sharpening member having a sharpening portion and reservoir portions adjacent the opposite ends thereof and supported thereby and movabl therewith whereby when said sharpening member reaches the end of each stroke a flow of the fluid carried in said reservoir portions from said reservoir portions onto the surface of said sharpening member will be effected to lubricate said surface and also any particles thereon will be washed oil.

14. In a device of the character described, a support, a sharpening member mounted on said support for longitudinal movement thereon for sharpening a blade, means for supporting a blade in operative position relative to said sharpening member, a rotatable eccentric member engaging said blade supporting means for efiecting reciprocating movement of said blade support and blade during the sharpening of said blade by said sharpening member.

15. In a device of the character described, a support, a longitudinally moveable sharpening member on said support, a blade holder for supporting a blade in operative position relative to said sharpening member, means for presenting the opposite sides of the edge of said blade to the surface of said sharpenin member alternately, said blade presenting means comprising a fluid system and a control member therefor and said control member having means for slowing up the speed of movement of said blad as the blade approaches the sharpening memben.

16. Apparatus for sharpening a blade comprismg a frame having opposed longitudinal guideways, a support reciprccable in opposite directions along said guideways, a sharpening member carried on said reciprccable support b adjust ment screws, said screws being arranged at opposite ends of the sharpening member and operable to cant one end of said member relative to the other, a pivotall mounted blade support for engaging an end of a blade to be sharpened, flipping mechanism splinedto said blade support for alternately presenting opposite sides of a blade to the sharpening member, and means for oscillating a blade on said support relative t said flipping mechanism.

ALBIN A. GRADISAR. 

